One of the world's leading private research institutions, the University of Southern California (USC) was founded in 1880. What began as an academic institution of just 53 students has now grown to more than 38,000. Today USC continues to uphold its tradition of integrating liberal and professional education, fostering a vibrant culture of public service and encouraging students to cross academic as well as geographic boundaries in their pursuit of knowledge.

With 19 graduate and professional schools, the number of graduate and professional students exceeded the number of undergraduates in 2014-15 (19,000 undergrads, 24,000 graduate and professional) in more than 400 master’s, certificate, doctoral and professional degree programs.

Graduate students at USC are key members of the university’s community of scholars, contributing diverse viewpoints and fresh insights that are poised to make their mark on the theories, systems, inventions, public policy and creative work of the 21st century.